Surf-motor.



No. 646,8l5. Patentad Apr. 3, |900.

Y s. H. EMMENS.

. SURF MDTDB.

(Application led Dec. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

w ,.nqll... masnlmsllllmi- F UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN H. EMMENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SURF-Moron'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,815, dated April 3,1900.-

Appllcatlon tiled December 27, 1899. Serial No. 741,738. (No model.)

To OLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN HENRY EM- MENS, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain and Ireland, and a resident of the borough of Richmond, inthe city and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Surf-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists inap'paratus whereby the momentum of the swellof the sea or of waves or billows advancing upon a shore may be availedof for the purpose of lifting much of the waterthat enters areceiving-trough to a comparatively-high level, and thus obtaining asource of hydraulic power; also, in certain novel combinations of partsin such apparatus, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The accompanying sheet of diagrammatic drawings will enable theinvention to be readily understood and applied by persons skilled in theart.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a longitudinal section of theimproved su rf-motor. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same, andFig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of theapparatus on a larger scale. a

Like letters and numbers refer to like parts in all the figures.

The line A, Fig. l, represents the natural surface of the ground of theocean shore, and the broken lines B and C represent the high and lowtide levels, respectively. Upon piles D or other suitable foundation atapering ascending trough E is constructed with adequate converging sidewalls 1 and 2 and an impervious smooth platform or floor 3, such troughdischarging into a conduit E2, preferably of the same inclination andwhich may be of uniform width. The trough E and conduit E2 togetherslope upward from at or below the low-tide level and extend inland untilthey reach a height corresponding to the maximum height ordinarilyobtainable by the influx of the swell or billows in the particularlocality where the apparatus is constructed and that is controlled bythe dimensions and general arrangement of the motor. At the summit ofthe conduit E2 a tank F receives the water that reaches this elevation.From this summit tank a discharge-pipeG descends and delivers the waterwithin the casing of a suitable water-wheel H. Such water-wheel may beof any known or irnproved type and may be used for transmitting power inany approved way. In order to utilize that major portion of the waterthat does not reach the summit of the conduit E2, the Hoor of thisthroat portion of the apparatus is composed of transverse boards orplates I, fixed at a slightly-greater angle than the Hoor as a whole,with the upper edge of each board or plate overlapping the lower edge ofthe next one above, but out of contact therewith. The interstices thusformed admit the reflux water to a trough J, constructed underneath theconduit E2 and having transverse partitions K, which divide this troughinto relatively-short sections. From each of these trough-sections adischarge-pipe L leads to the water-wheel H.

More than one water-wheel may obviously be connected with one and thesame summit tank and redux-trough, either or both. The number ofsections into which the refluxtrough is divided may vary greatly, andother like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in theart.

This apparatus is in principle a reproduction of the spouting or blowingholes frequently met with in nature ou rocky coasts where advancingwaves enter a funnel-shaped cavity and by the consequent concentrationof their momentum upona reduced cross-section elevate a column of waterto a considerable height. This is what takes p lace in the presentapparatus. The force represented by the whole wave area at the mouth ofthe receiving-trough E is gradually transferred to a greatlydiminishingvolume o'f water, which accordingly mounts higher and higher until itascends the conduit Ezand pours over into the summit tank F. The waterthat does not rise to the sum mit flows back through the intersticesbetween the transverse boards or plates I into the respective sectionsof the reflux-trough J, and from thence finds its way through the pipesL to the wheel H. Nearly portioning the dimensions of the pipes G and Lthe Water wheel or wheels II may be continuously supplied with water andthe power maintained at a fairly-uniform rate.

I am aware that attempts have been made to utilize surf-power byconstructing tunnels having mouths open to the advancing waves anddelivering the water through valves into pipes. Such devices are,however, quite distinct from my invention, whereby I not only make useof the advancing waves without any shock or interposed mechanicalobstacle, but I also utilize the reflux.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as myinvention anddesire to patent under this specificationl. An apparatus for utilizingsurf energy, which apparatus comprises a tapering ascending trougharranged to receive the direct impact of the waves and extending inland,a summit tank in communication with the upper end of said trough, and awater-wheel in communication with said tank.

2. An apparatus for utilizing surf energy, which apparatus comprises aconduit, the floor of which is composed of upwardly-inclined transverseboards or plates separated by interstices, a redux-trough incommunication with said interstices, and a water-Wheel in communicationwith said reflux-trough.

3. An apparatus for utilizing surf energy, which apparatus comprises aconduit, the floor of which is composed of upwardly-inclined transverseboards or plates separated by interstices, a reflux-trou gh incommunication with said interstiees and divided by partitions intosections, and a water-wheel in communication with such trough-sections.

4. An apparatus for utilizing surf energy,

which apparatus comprises a tapering ascending trough, a conduit incommunication therewith,having its floor composed of upwardlyinclinedtransverse boards or plates separated by interstices, a reflux-trough incommunication with said interstices, and a Water-wheel in communicationwith said reflux-trough.

5. An appara-tus for utilizing surf energy, which apparatus consists ofa tapering receiving-trough, an ascending conduit in communication withsaid trough, having its tloorconstructed with upwardly-inclinedtransverse boards or plates separated by interstices, a summit tank atthe higher end of said conduit receiving the primary dischargetherefrom, a reflux-trough in communication with said interstices,discharge-pipes leading from said summit tank and reflux-trough, and awater-wheel in communication with said discharge-pipes.

6. An apparatus for utilizing surf energy, which apparatus consists of atapering'receiving-trough, an ascending conduit in communication withsaid trough, having its floor constructed with upwardly-inclinedtransverse boards or plates separated by interstices, a summit tank atthe higher end of said conduit, a reflux-trough in communication withsaid interstices and divided by partitions into sections,discharge-pipes leading from said summit tank and trough-sections, and awater-wheel in communication with said discharge-pipes, substantially ashereinbefore specified.

STEPHEN n. EMMENS.

W'itnesses:

NEWTON W. EMMENS, CHARLES MILES.

